California GOP Senators Urge UC Regents to Reinstate SAT and ACT Requirements
Three Republican state senators have asked the University of California Board of Regents to bring back SAT and ACT scores for admissions, citing faculty concerns over declining math preparedness.
In a letter dated Aug. 21, Republican state senators Roger Niello, Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh and Steven S. Choi appealed to the University of California Board of Regents to restore SAT and ACT requirements for undergraduate admission, arguing that six years without the tests have left students under-prepared. The senators cited a UC San Diego faculty work-group report indicating that roughly one in twelve incoming freshmen score below high-school math standards, a figure that has risen dramatically since 2020.
Their request supports a petition signed by more than 3,000 UC faculty who claim first-year students lack essential math, verbal and writing skills. The UC Academic Senate is already reviewing testing policies, and the Board of Admissions and Relations with Schools (BOARS) is slated to issue a report on standardized testing by February. Governor Gavin Newsom, an ex-officio regent, has said he wants to see data before taking a position. Republican candidates Steve Hilton and Gloria Romero also sent a joint letter to the regents demanding reinstatement.
Why it matters
The decision could reshape admission standards for millions of California college applicants.
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